we need more respect

[JabzX]

After participating at the FIRST competition, I was both happy and upset at what happened. Despite the fact that the animation deadline was sooner that previous years, I was in good spirits that I'd be able to see and judge fellow animators' animations. I was also glad to meet a few of them. Then I realized how they treated us. Our team participated at the NASA / VCU Regional. Our animations were on a small TV to the side of the pit where one would need safety glasses to enter; that means that the general public couldn't see the weeks of work that we tried so hard to produce.
I think we, as the animators of F.I.R.S.T., should join our forces to not make the F.I.R.S.T. competition a just robotics competition but a competition where animators could be known and could actually meet other animators, to not be just a common team "cheerleader" in a crowd, and to have our animations play a stronger role than before.
Maybe I'm in over my head but I'd like for us to come out with our own website and forum geared to helping new animators/modelers get started. It'd also provide a good place to chill and talk about any thing, like this great forum (it really is great). If this community gets started, I feel that our voices could be heard, listened to and recognized.
I'd like to know what you all have to say on this. Good idea, bad idea? Willing to help get this thing up? Think we are at a comfortable position? Is there already a site up that I don't know about? Did they treat you better at the other regionals? I'd like some input-